Chapter 20 : Fin

Six Months Later…

"Welcome Brightvale graduates!" the headmaster's voice booms over the crowd. "Today we celebrate the graduation of our top fourteen students! Allow me to introduce them to you all."

I feel Eva's hand grasp mine in a tight grip as we both straighten. I smile at the crowd of current students, past graduates, parents, and other attendees. Their faces blur together in a sea of excitement that brims within me.

I can't believe I'm finally here, standing in front of everyone like this. It feels like a reality that I never thought could be possible.

I search the crowd for the familiar faces of my parents, spotting them tucked in the middle of the second row of bleachers. They're dressed in their usual uniforms, both of them must have just been arriving back from the Embassy. I hadn't gotten a chance to greet them before coming up on stage, but I can tell that they're excited to see me standing up here.

I'd told them very little about my strugg